Tokyo Game Show attracts 200,000 visitors

The Tokyo Game Show (TGS), Asia's largest gaming expo, had more than 200,000 people descending on the Makuhari Messe convention centre.

The expo was a magnet for everything gaming-related - with exclusive demos, cosplayers and the like.

Unlike the Electronic Entertainment Expo, which is held in Los Angeles every year, this show focuses mainly on games from big Japanese and East Asian developers, with the likes of Square Enix, Capcom and Konami having a massive presence at the event.

And what a show it was with three massive halls decked in neon signage, massive screens and thumping speakers all showcasing the latest and greatest in gaming.

Games for Sony's PlayStation took centre stage. Final Fantasy 15 will be an open-world game.

A demo will be included in copies of Final Fantasy Type 0 HD.

Digital Life got a look at some upcoming games:

Bloodborne, a Victorian gothic action game, is every bit as brutal as the Demon Souls series; and The Order 1886, a PS4 exclusive, was one of the few Western-made games given a lot of focus as the third-person shooter developed by Ready at Dawn. Its moody atmosphere, solid shooting and amazing graphics wowed players.

Other highlights included Battefield: Hardline, in which the cops-versus-criminals gameplay stood out. Capcom put a lot of focus on its new Resident Evil game, Revelations 2. Similar treatment was given to hit game, Monster Hunter.

The biggest game on display, however, was without a doubt Konami's Metal Gear Solid Five.

From the trailers, the title is shaping up to be a blockbuster of epic proportions. When series creator Hideo Kojima went on stage, the applause reverberated through the hall.

However, the game which impressed me most was the PS4 exclusive, Until Dawn, a survival horror game with Hollywood-calibre voice talent, excellent script and oodles of replayability.

At the closed-door session, you could hear screams during the demo as the game went on a rollercoaster ride of terror. I asked the creator to make a version for Sony's Project Morpheus VR headset.

Between the game releases and showcases of new technology, such as Project Morpheus and Oculus Rift, this year's show was truly an experience.

This article was first published on Sep 24, 2014.
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